Illuminating



Feb. 10,1931. N. c. AMEN 1,791,697

ILLUMINATING APPLIANGE Filed Jan. '2, 192s /Wirrx Fao Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES NICHOLAS o. AMEN, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Application 'led January 2, 1929. Serial No. 329,836.

My invention relates to `an illuminating appliance and has for its object the provision of a relatively simple7 practicaland inexpensive appliance that may be advantageously 5 employed for illuminating purposes or as an illuminated advertising sign.

Further objects of my invention are to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the existing forms of illuminat- 10 ing appliances and illuminating advertising signs, further to provide a device of the character referred to that is very compactand readily portable in order that it may be conveniently employed for a variety of purposes,

15 and, further to provide an illuminating appliance wherein differently colored rays of light may be projected from the apparatus in order to illuminate in an attractive manner displays of goods or articles in showwindows, showcases and the like. c

A. further object of my invention is .to provide an illuminating appliance that includes a plurality of interchangeable wmdowsv or sections'xmade up of differently colored transparent panels and 'to combine therewith a lamp and reectors so that the differently colored light rays that pass through said differently colored windowsor panels will be blended so as `to produce highly attractive results when said rays are directed onto goods thatl are displayed in show- Windows and the like. A i

Further objectsof my invention *are to provide an illuminating appliance thatV is universally adjustable sothat it maybe convenientlyused'for a wide variety of purposes, and, further, to provide means whereby the differently colored transparent sections or advertising panels utilized in the'appliance are capable of being readily interchanged, therebyincreasing the Yusefulness of the appliance. Y Y Y With the foregoing and other objects in view,-my invention consists in certain novel 150. YFigi is a front elevational view: of an il-l featuresof construction and arrangement of luminating appliance constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the appliance. v

Fig. 3 is a top plane view of the illuminat- 55 ingappliance with portions thereo-f broken away and in section.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the 'line 4 4 of Fig. l. f

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of an adjust- 60 able clamp that is utilized in the rear portion of the illuminating appliance.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the Y line 6 6 of Fig.V 5. t

Fig/7 is any elevational-view of a clamping plate that forms apart of my improved illuminating appliance.

Fig. 8 is an elevational view'of a modified construction whereina lens is supported directly'in front of that portion ofthe housing thatis provided with the transparent panels.

F 1g. 9 is a front elevational View of one of the advertising panels that may be used'in my improved appliance.

Fig. l() is a vertical section talrenon the line 10-10 of ig. 9. l i Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings whichillustrate a practical em-v bodiment of myinvention, l0 designates a base from which projects upwardly a post or standard ll and formed integral'with or fixed to the upper end of said posais a spherical head lQupon which the housing of the appliance is adjustably mounted. l prefer to form the base in twoparts that are'detachably connected by means of screws or bolts 10a and the-upper part being considerably smaller than 'thelower part, thus enabling the parts to be separatcd'and the smaller upper portion secured to a'relatively narrow rail or transom withinv a yshow 'case or show window.

lThe housing 13 of my improved illuminat- 'ingy appliance is preferably formed of sheet metal. and is 'substantially pyramidal in shape with its base either square or rectangular in-shape. f f Arranged within the-housing and spaced slight distance away from the walls thereof are mirrors-ormembers 14 Vhaving reflecting 10a surfaces and formed in two or more of the walls of the housing are lo-uvres 15 which permit air to circulate throughthe chambers between the reflecting members and walls of the housing.

Two of the walls of'the housing are provided on their outer faces adjacent to their central portions with 4threadedapertures 16 that are adapted to receive screws or bolts 17, which latter pass through the ends of a braclret 18 Yand the latter :being provided with a centrally arranged flanged aperture that accommodates the upper 'portion 'of head 12. y

By providing two ofthe walls o'f'th'e housing with the apertures 16 th'ep'late Y18 which serves as a part of the means forsu-pporting the housing on the post 11, may lblesh'ifted from one side of the housing to the. other with the result that said housing may be conveniently supported flatwiseor with the greatest length of its frontend horizontally disposed or vertically disposed as 'may be desired.

Positioned on the underside of thep'late 18 and securedthereto at one end by screws 19 is a plate 20 provided with a centrally arranged flanged opening 21 for the accommodation ofthe 'lower portion of the head 12 and the opposite end-of this plate is secured Vto plate 18 by a bolt 22 on the. outer end of which is mounted a winged nut 23.

lVhen plate 2O functions-as a Vclamping plate and when the winged-,nut'23 on bolt 22 is tightened to move plate 2O toward plate 18, the flanges around the openings inthe two plates clamp the head 12 onthe upper end of post 11, thereby firmly supporting the housing of the appliance in its adjusted posi'- tion. v

Formed in the rear end wall of' the hous-` ing is a flanged opening in'which is adjustably positioned a ball 24 and securedon the outer face of the rear wall ofthe Vhousing is a clamping plate 25 that is practically identical in structure with the clamping plate 20, said clamping plate being provided witha centrally arranged flanged opening that re-y ceives the ball 24. y

The plate 2O is connected to the rear wall of the housing at one end by screws or bolts' 26 and at vtheopposite end by means of a bolt having on its outer end awinged'nut 27.

Ball 24 is provided with a centrally arranged aperture 28 for the accommodation of a tube29,`and the body of said b all to one side of this aperture is slotted, as designated by 30 in order that the parts of said ball when subjected to pressuremay clamp the rod 29 that passes-through aperture 28.

,. The -rod29 yprojects a short distance into the housing 13 and carriedon tlre'inneren'd thereof is an electricvlainp '81. Conductors 32 extend through the tube 29 to the contacts of the lampfand mountedf 'on-"the outery end-of j the top or. bottomfofthe said tube is a ball 33 that serves as a handle by which the lamp carrying tube is adjusted. i

Arranged on the front portion of the top wall of the housing is a hinged panel 34 which, when opened, permits the insertion or removal of windows or transparent sections that form the front wall of the appliances. These windows or panels maybe formed of strips or sections 35 of colored transparent material such as glass, or if the appliance is utilized for may consist of a stencil sheet 3G, behind which is positioned 'a section 37 of opal glass and arranged behind the latter is a section 38 of Vcolored transparent material preferably glass.

appliance a magnifying or concentrating ap-L pliance '40, and where 'such arrangement is carried'out the lens is mounted in a suitable frame 41 that is secured to the front portion of the housing.

In the use of my improved illuminating ap-l pliance the housing containing the lamp and the transparent windows or panels in front, may be universally adjusted upon thehead 12 =advertising'purposesfeaeh window or section Y of the standard :11, and by ltightening the winged nut 23'on the bolt 22 plates'20-and 1 8 are clamped upon the head so as tosecurely holdthe housing in its adjusted position. Whenithe winged nut 27 is'unscrewed from its bolt to release the clamping pressure of plate 25l and the rear end wall of thehou'sing enthe ball 24 the vlatter maybe universally rotated between the flanged edges of the openings in said plate and ,rearwall and as the clamped pressure onthe divided parts of the ball is releasedthe tube 2,9 may be adjusted lengthwise through the ball, Tthereby"'finoving the lamp 31 Vtov'vardor. away.l from the transparent panels or windowsfat thefront of the-housing. y

VVObviously the lamp carrying tube 29 may be swung vertically orhorizontally upon its axis, which is' the ball 24, and thus fthe ilamp may, bepositioned adjacent toleither side or j housing, as shown byfdotted lines in vzFig. 4. l 5 Y By tightening the'winged nut 27 4upon its ros bolt,plate 25will be forced toward therear Y end wall of the housing and such action will clamp the interposed ball 24,'jth'ereby securely holding the same in itsadjusted position and at4 the same time the clamped pressure applied tothe bra-ll will! clamp-and hold the tube 29' invits' 'adjusted' position. v

Direct-rays oflight from the lamp 32=will pass through .the differentlyclored sections of glass in the front wall ofthe housing, thereby producing colored rays to illuminate` the goods or objects onto which said rays are directed, which rays correspond, of course, to the color of the respective sections of glass in the front wall of the housing and reflected rays of light will be thrown forwardly by the mirrors or reflecting surfaces within the housing, and these reflected rays in passing through the differently colored panels will produce a combination or blending of the various colors when thrownupon the goods or objects that are illuminated, thus producing very attractive and desirable results.

In tests and experiments with an illuminating appliance having three transparent panels in its front wall'and which panels are respectively colored red and blue, I have produced twelve distinct colors which are blends or combinations of the three different colors of the panels, and these twelve color blends are extremely effective in the illumination of various lines of goods displayed for sale or for illuminating any object for the purpose of rendering the same distinctive and attractive.

Obviously by using transparent panels ofdillerent or predetermined colors, various striking and attractively shaped color combinations may be produced and directed onto objects to be illuminated.

Where my improved illuminating appliance is utilized as a sign a plurality of removable and interchangeable windows or panels are assembled to form the front wall of the housing, which windows are removed and inserted by opening the hinged member 34, and each panel consists of the fro-nt stencil sheet 36, the intermediate section 37 of white or opal glass, and the rear section 38 of colored 0lass. n lVhere such an arrangement is utilized the light that passes through the openings in the stencil sheet will be colored as it passes through the rear colored transparent seotion 38, thereby producing an attractive illuminated sign.

By arranging the section 37 of whiteor opal glass behind the stencil sheet, the wording or characteristics cut on the stencil sheet will be visible in the daytime or while the lamp within the housing is not lighted, such result being due to the differences in color of the stencil sheet 36 and intermediate section 37.

In some instances, and particularly where flood lighting is desired, the eihciency of the device may be materially increased through the use of a containing lens in front of the housing, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

.'Ihus it will be seen that I have provided an illuminated advertising apparatus that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, universally adjustable and housing.

`It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved illuminating appliance may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims. Y

I claim as my invention:

1. In an illuminating appliance, a hous-y ing, a plurality of differently colored transparent sections forming one of the walls of the housing, a source of light adjustably mounted within the housing, and a plurality of reflectors arranged within said housin and surrounding the source of light therein, which reflectors are arranged to form a hollow horizontally disposed pyramid, the open large end of which is positioned adjacent to the wall of the housing that is composed of the differently colored transparent sections.

2. In an illuminating appliance, a housing, a plurality of windows forming yone of the walls of said housing, each window comprising a kstencil sheet, an intermediate section of opal glass, a rear section of colored transparent material, a source of light adjustably mounted within the housing behind said windows and a plurality of reflectors arranged within said housing and surrounding the source of light therein, which reflectors are positioned so as to form a horizontally disposed hollow pyramid at its open base positioned adjacent to the plurality of windows.`

3. In an illuminating appliance, a. housing, a plurality of windows forming one of the walls of said housing, each Window comprising a stencil sheet, an intermediate section of opal glass, a rear section of colored transparent material, a source of light adjustably mounted within the housing behind said windows, and a plurality of reflectors arranged within the housing and surrounding the source of light therein, which reflectors occupy dierent angular positions with respect to each other and with respect `to said windows. y

4. In an illuminating appliance, a horizontally disposed pyramid shaped housing, a window arranged in the large end of said housing, a lamp adjustably arranged within the housing and reflectors arranged within the housing around the lamp therein, which reflectors occupy angular planes parallel with the planes occupied by the walls of said In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

NICHOLAS C. AMEN.

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